"Lush Life" is a jazz standard with lyrics and music written by Billy Strayhorn from 1933 to 1938. A jazz standard is a Jazz tune that is held in continuing esteem and which is widely known performed and recorded among jazz musicians as part of the jazz musical repertoire Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn ( November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American Composer, Pianist However, the song was only performed privately by Strayhorn until he and vocalist Kay Davis performed it on November 13, 1948 with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Katherine Elizabeth "Kay" Davis (b December 5, 1920) was an American Jazz singer best known for her time with the Duke Ellington Orchestra Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east

The song's lyrics describe the author's weariness of the night life after a failed romance, wasting time with "jazz and cocktails" and in the company of girls with "sad and sullen gray faces". Strayhorn was only 16 when he wrote the majority of the song, which was to become his signature composition.

One of the most notable recordings of "Lush Life" was by Nat King Cole. Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17 1919 &ndash February 15 1965 known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician John Coltrane also recorded it at least twice, once in 1958 as the title track of an album for Prestige Records, and again in 1963 with his "classic quartet" and Johnny Hartman singing. Prestige Records was a Record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock ( October 2, 1928 &ndash January 14, 2006) John Maurice "Johnny" Hartman (born 13 july 1923 - died 15 september 1983 a baritone Jazz singer who is remembered for his smooth performances of jazz ballads is The Johnny Hartman version is considered definitive. John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is a 1963 (see 1963 in music) studio album featuring John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. The earlier version was 14 minutes long.

Donna Summer recorded the song with Quincy Jones for her self titled 1982 album. Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines December 31, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who gained Quincy Delight Jones Jr (born March 14, 1933) also known as Q, is an American Music Impresario, conductor Donna Summer is the self-titled album released by the American singer in 1982. In 1985 it was the title track of Lush Life, the second of Linda Ronstadt's three albums of American standards. Lush Life is an album by Linda Ronstadt released in 1984 It was the second in a trilogy of Traditional pop albums Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15 1946 in Tucson Arizona) is an American popular vocalist and Entertainer whose vocal styles in a variety Queen Latifah recorded it for her "The Dana Owens Album" of 2004.

External links

• The song's entry at jazzstandards.com